Fonds contains William Wood Squire's manuscript of his thesis "Pathology and Treatment of some forms of Partial Paralysis" which won a prize as best thesis in medicine at McGill in 1864. The fonds includes a bound notebook and one loose illustration.

The William Weintraub fonds documents Weintraub's career in documentary film and literature covering the period between approximately 1950 to 2000. The fonds falls into four series: (1) literary correspondence, (2) literary activities, (3) documentary filmmaking, and (4) biographical materials, personal correspondence, and career ephemera, documenting Weintraub's early life as well as theatre programs, pamphlets, and other collected material. Weintraub's career as a documentary film maker both as a freelance and with the NFB (1965-1986) with some 150 films to his credit is well documented including his work in Africa. The material includes scripts, research notes and correspondence. In some cases copies of the films are included. Material related to the NFB also includes newsletters, office files, and correspondence. The material documenting Weintraub's literary career includes drafts, proofs, correspondence and reviews for his two novels Why Rock the Boat? (1961) and The Underdogs (1979). In addition, the former was made into a film and extensive files relate to this. The latter novel was adapted for the stage and drafts, publicity and material relating to the controversy it aroused are included. Weintraub's book on Montreal in 1940s and 1950s City Unique (1996) is documented with extensive research files, drafts, reviews and correspondence. The literary correspondence with Mavis Gallant (127 letters), Brian Moore (603 letters) and Mordecai Richler (210 letters) constitutes a major source for the study of three prominent Canadian writers in the last half of the twentieth century. In addition, there are copies of 280 letters from Weintraub to Moore and 123 copies of letters from Weintraub to Richler. While the Gallant correspondence dates primarily from the 1980s with only 8 letters from 1950-1951, the Moore and Richler correspondence is continuous from the 1950s. This latter correspondence reveals the close involvement of Weintraub in the development of the work of both Moore and Richler.

Fonds contains the manuscript of Dr. William Rees on the treatment of malaria, a lecture given before the Natural History Society of Montreal in the 1860s

The fonds consists primarily of Logan's scientific work. A small percentage relates to the affairs of his family and to memorials to Logan after his death. The great majority of the papers consists of scientific correspondence from about 1820 to 1874, but mostly for the years following his appointment to the Survey in 1842. The letters deal with the collection, exchange and description of geological specimens, expeditions under the aegis of the survey, problems of research and scientific interpretation, scientific meetings, and visits by scientists. The number of correspondents, both individuals and learned societies, is very large, but the most substantial bodies of letters are from J.W. Dawson, geologist and Principal of McGill University, James Hall, paleontologist of the New York Geological Survey, Alexander Murray, Logan's chief assistant, and James Lowe of Grenville, Québec, who supplied Logan with specimens and appears to have been casually employed by him on surveying jobs and field trips. Other correspondents include Sanford Fleming, E.D. Ashe of the Québec Observatory, Thomas Sterry Hunt, and R.I. Murchison of the Geographical Society of Great Britain. Some letters pertain to political or social affairs, but usually in close connection with the scientific work of Logan or the Survey. These files contain copies of some of Logan's outgoing letters, as well as some letters addressed to other individuals, generally his assistants. Other scientific papers consist of field trip records (a journal kept during an expedition in 1845, a weather table kept on Lake Superior in the winter of 1846-1847, work records and astronomical readings for surveying projects, notes on mineral deposits, and lists of specimens), manuscripts of three scientific papers, as well as "Observations on the proposed Geological Survey", and manuscript and printed maps and geological schemata, including some by Logan of the Bay of Fundy, Labrador, and Hamilton, Ontario regions. Manuscript catalogues of specimens were prepared by Logan for the Paris Exhibitions of 1855 and 1867. Official reports include Logan's annual reports for 1842-1844, an overview of the work of the Geological Survey, 1866, two reports by Logan on prospects for mining on the north shore of Lake Superior, 1846, 1847, and one on mineral deposits around Rivière-du-Loup, 1853, as well as Logan's copy of his proposed Geological Survey Bill, 1844, and some copies of reports on mining and cartography prepared by others. Logan's financial records include expense accounts for Geological Survey expeditions, as well as other professional expenditures, such as books. His private and family life is reflected by a very brief diary of an Atlantic crossing in 1856, letters to and from his brothers James and Henry, his father, his uncle Hart Logan, and Hart Logan's partner John Fleming, covering the years 1772-1856. There are also baptismal and burial certificates, and legal documents, particularly bills of sale pertaining to James Logan's farm. Memorials to Logan after his death include J.W. Dawson's correspondence concerning the Logan Memorial Fund and Collection, 1881, and a manuscript biography by Alexander Murray. There is a chronological and author/recipient index to these papers.

Additional materials received from McGill Library's Rare Books and Special Collections consist of correspondence, 1837-1871; notices of admission to scientific and historical societies, 1842-1867; a history of the geological survey 1850; a report on mining locations addressed to B. Papineau, 1847; and correspondence with Robert Bell, 1861-1874.

The fonds documents William B. Howell's poetry. The fonds contains a bound typescript of poems with two drawings by W.W. Francis.

This series consists of unpublished literary works, including typescripts for two unpublished novels written by Duncan: “Beyond & Back” (c.1933) and “Innocent Lambs” (c.1935), which was dedicated to Hugh MacLennan. Both novels were written before her marriage to MacLennan. “Beyond & Back” was written under the pen name “Judith Crimm.”

The bulk of the Hunt papers consists of scientific correspondence, with a fairly large component of notes on scientific subjects. Most of the material dates from after Hunt's departure for the United States. With the exception of a letter of appointment to the Geological Survey of Vermont in 1845, all Hunt's correspondence (incoming, with copies of some outgoing) dates from the period 1863-1891, with the majority of items from the 1880s. There are a few letters of a social or personal nature, but most concern scientific matters: geological and chemical research problems, exchange of specimens, Hunt's theories and the controversies they stirred, his publications, negotiations for patents on some of his discoveries, the business of various scientific societies, and in particular the organization of the Geological Congress. Amongst his correspondents were James D. Dana (with whom he engaged in a heated quarrel over scientific theory), James Hall, Persifor Frazer, J.W. Dawson, and various members of the Geological Survey of Canada, such as G.M. Dawson, Robert Bell, Henry Y. Hind, and George Iles. Hunt's scientific notes mostly deal with special topics in chemistry, geology, mineralogy, railways, coal products and the controversy with Dana. There are also reading notes for geological texts, lecture notes for courses in geology, 1876, and chemistry, and indexes, apparently for Hunt's books. A manuscript on "Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography: an episode in its history", notes for a lecture on "People I have met", and sketches of family history represent Hunt's wider interests. There are also clippings of reviews of books and lectures by Hunt, biographical notices, reports on scientific themes and institutions, and news of the Geological Survey.

Apart from student laboratory notes in physics, 1919, Shaw's papers consist of printed and mimeographed reports on a miscellaneous group of chemical topics, but with a significant percentage on ethylene, propylene, acetylene and ethers, together with some of Shaw's manuscript notes and charts. Also included is his report to Canadian Electro Products on acetaldol formation.

Fonds shows Thomas Gibson's interest in history of medicine. It contains papers on John Palmer Litchfield and on the General Council of Medical Education and Registration of Upper Canada. Dr. Gibson's notes on the translation of Theodore Turquet de Mayerne of the Opera Medica of Joseph Brown, ed. 1700. Correspondence.

This subseries focuses on the unpublished memoir of Casey A. Wood, which consists of manuscripts, typescripts, notes, research project notes and publications, correspondence (1888-1939), photographs, clippings and printed material, and journals (1891, 1930-1931) from approximately 1850-1939. Wood had assistance from family members, professional connections, and friends to compile his biographical information for the memoir. Wood was living in Rome during the mid- to late-1930s, so much of the Canadian research was conducted by family members Samuel Casey Wood III, Alan Wood, and Edith Hayes. There is correspondence between Wood and his family on the progress of the memoir, their family, and personal lives. The subseries consists of approximately 110 letters and 1 telegram with additional correspondence, clippings, and other materials integrated into the memoir’s manuscript and typescripts.
Individuals addressed within the correspondence and other materials include Alan Wood, Samuel Casey Wood III, George Iles, H. Clay Evans, Dr. George H. Mathewson, Francis J. Shepherd, Harvey Cushing, Dr. George H. Simmons, Casey Hayes, Josephine Seymour, Dr. Charles P. Small, Ms. Slaughter, Major J. C. Dawson, Dr. J. C. Simpson, J. R. Slonaker, Irving S. Cutter, Dr. H. D. Birkett, Dr. Franck Brawley, Dr. Maude Abbott, Elizabeth E. Abbott, Dr. W. W. Francis, Harry Harris, G. R. Lomer, Dr. Harry Vanderbilt Wurdemann, Dr. C. F. Wylde, V. C. Wynne Edwards, Dr. Andreas Nell, Sir William Osler, C. F. Wylde, Frank Allport, and Norma Shearer.
Throughout the subseries common topics include providing information for the memoir, travel, careers, education, Italy during the late 1930s, politics, ornithology, zoology, donations of materials by Casey Wood, family, Emperor Frederick II and “the Art of Falconry,” Emma Shearer Wood and Blacker Library collections, aviculture, John III, the Feather book, animal protection, history of medicine, “Coloured Plates of the Birds of Ceylon,” Ali ibn Isa, and Wood’s research, career, and health.
The printed material includes a variety of leaflets, brochures, cards, invitations, tickets, bookplates, booklets, clippings etc. from or about various current events, travel experiences, publications, etc.. Within the subseries' photographs are images of Dr. Thomas Woodruff, Emma Shearer Wood, Casey Wood, Marjorie Fyfe, James Shearer, Eliza Shearer, Dr. Richmond, Dr. Ridgway, other family members and friends, and from research trips. Places related to Wood’s life mentioned in this subseries include the United States, Canada, Germany, Sri Lanka, England, Italy, Ethiopia, Vienna, France, Afghanistan, British Guiana, Australia, Fiji, McGill and Emma Shearer Wood Libraries, Bishops’ College, Western General Hospital, Stanford University, and the Chicago Ophthalmological Society.